Attachment for mail-bag forks.



J. A. FALVEY.

ATTACHMENT FOR MAIL BAG FORKS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV, 6, 1909.

951387., Patented June 14,1910.

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JOHN A. FALVEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ATTACHMENT FOR MAIL-BAG FORKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 6, 1909.

Patented June 14, 1910.

Serial No. 526,521.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. FALvnY, a citizen of the United States,residing at No. 984: Fourth avenue, Detroit, in the county of WVayne andState of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAttachments for Mail-Bag Forks, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention is an attachment for mail bag receiving forks to prevent amail bag from bounding out of or falling from fork after it has beencaught, and my object is to provide an attachment which may be readilyand quickly adjusted to release jammed or wedged bag, and which issimple in construction, strong and unfailing in its action.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is aplan view of a mail bag receiving fork provided with my improvedattachment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my improved attachment,removed, and, Fig. 3 is a similar view of the set screw removed.

The usual bag catching fork comprises a support-rock shaft A, a yoke Bon said shaft adjacent one end, and to which is attached the handle C,and a fork arm D extending from said yoke, and flaring away from shaftA.

My improved attachment comprises, in the first place, a collar 10,adapted for sliding engagement upon the rock shaft A, and having aset-screw 11, by which it may be secured in the desired position. Thisset screw is provided with a head shaped as shown to exactly interfitthe staple entrance of a mail pouch lock, and inasmuch as there isalways a number of such locks in a mail car, means will always be athand to loosen the collar 10 and slide the attachment away from the yokeB to enlarge the ammed space when a heavily loaded bag becomes jammed inthe elbow of the fork, as it very frequently does. From the collar 10extends a rigid arm 12, at an angle of substantially forty-five degrees,said arm having at its outer end apertured extensions 13 forming thehalf part of a self-contained hinge, and provided with shoulders 14. Aswinging arm 15, curved in length, has at one end a reduced extension16, fitting between the extensions 13 and forming the other half of ahinged connection of which a pin 17 projecting through the apertures ofsaid extensions, is the pintle. The arm being thus mounted to swing, isprovided with a shoulder 18 opposing shoulder 1 1 of the rigid arm 12,and it can, therefore, swing toward the yoke B, only.

In use the attachment is adjusted and fixed at a desired point on shaftA adjacent the yoke B, and thus a mail bag caught by the fork arm D, andin passing along said arm, strikes the movable arm 15 of the attachmentwhich at once flexes and permits the bag to pass thereby. The arm 15then returns to its normal position by reason of its rebound aftercont-act with yoke B, and in a measure, by gravity.

I claim:

1. An attachment of the character described comprising a collar having aset screw, a rigid arm extending from said collar, a movable arm at theend of said rigid arm, a hinged connection between said arms to permitmovement of the movable arm in one direction, and means to preventmovement thereof in the opposite direction.

2. The combination with a bag catching fork embodying a supporting rockshaft, of an attachment therefor embodying a collar for engagement uponsaid shaft, a one-way movable bag retaining arm, and a set-screw forsecuring said collar in desired adjustment having a head shaped tointerfit the staple entrance of a bag lock.

3. The combination with a bag catching fork, of an attachment havingmeans to adjustably secure the same upon said fork, and embodying arigid arm, a movable arm at the end of said rigid arm for contact with,and rebound from, a portion of said fork, in its movement in onedirection, said arms embodying, at their contiguous ends, a hingedconnection and being oppositely shouldered to control their movement inthe opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. FALVEY.

Witnesses:

KATE ROBERTSON, MAUDE E. HENsrEN.

